Chapter 9
The first times you do something are always crucial and are usually etched in your memory. You never forget about them. As a result, you do everything possible to make a good first impression. So make sure you don’t get labeled a loser on your first day of school, or you’ll have to live with it for the rest of your life.
Alita wanted to make a good first impression at work so she could progress from there. She got up early and dressed before she had to leave for his house. Benson had mailed his address to her, so she knew where to go.
Sarah was surprised and impressed when she awoke to find she had already completed her preparations for her first day at her new job. The strangest thing Sarah couldn’t figure out was why Alita kept staring at her wristwatch. Even stranger, she wasn’t a watch wearer. Alita hadn’t worn a wristwatch in a very long time. She simply does not wear watches.
Sarah, on the other hand, kept her thoughts to herself, taking in and digesting what was going on.
They would talk later when they were back from work.
The girls said their goodbyes and parted ways with hugs and air kisses, with Sarah wishing Alita a wonderful first day.
Alita believed that if it went wrong on the first day, it would go wrong the rest of the way. It was how she knew whether she would enjoy the job or just get through it until the next one came along.
She wished for this one to last. If something were to happen and things went wrong, she would believe she was cursed because who would mess this up?
Alita checked her watch after taking a few steps away from the door and standing to say goodbye to Sarah. She still had about an hour until the time she considers to be fairly early. She didn’t want to arrive too early and appear cheesy. Starting with a time she couldn’t keep up with would be bad and hypocritical.
She decided to walk there after much deliberation. Benson’s apartment wasn’t too far from where she and Sarah lived, though it was a long walk. Alita was unconcerned. Walking was a way for her to clear her mind, and she needed a lot of clearing at the time.
She had a very disturbing dream as a result of her late-night perversion. She was attempting to slow everything down in her mind to figure out why and how that happened. How she was falling for Grumpy face so quickly. She has always avoided doing things like that. She could even count the number of times she had masturbated. When she was in high school after she had her first kiss, and one time she saw her junior year crush naked in the pool, and… that was pretty much all she could think of as she probed her mind.
She was well aware that going down that road would lead to disaster. She couldn’t allow herself to be that stupid. How would anyone who finds out about it react? What do you think Sarah would think of her? In her mind, it was all a bad idea. Everything was telling her to shut the doors and turn away.
“Stupid, stupid,” Alita said, tapping her head on both sides. “Every other girl is smitten by him. Falling into that category is cheap and makes you appear to be after what every other girl wants, which is money and luxury. You are not like every other girl, so pull over and get off this ride,” she muttered to herself as she stared into space.
She’d set her watch to beep every twenty minutes. For the second time, it beeped. She looked at her wrist and saw the time. She’d be late if she spent another twenty-minute on the road so she hastened her steps. It would ruin her plans if she went late.
She wiped her brow with her handkerchief. She took her phone and slowed down just as she approached the turn that led to his apartment, swiped to her camera, and raised the phone to check to see how she looked. She cocked her head and pursed her lips.
All good, she thought as she continued walking. When she arrived at the reception desk, she was directed to Benson’s apartment. As she approached it, she wondered why he chose the apartment that was separated from the others. He prefers to be alone in his own space, free from outside interference.
The closer she got to the building, the quieter it got. It was a little unsettling, so she crossed her hand over her chest and looked around, taking in her surroundings.
She got to the front of the door and wondered how she was going to get him to come out. She’d never seen anything like that before. You couldn’t figure out how to open it. She might have seen it in one of the many movies she’d seen. She had no idea how to get in.
The door was made of glass, which was obviously expensive. There is no handle, and there is no way to know whether to push or pull to enter. She wouldn’t want to come in unless she was invited. However, she lingered outside. He may believe she was late, but she wasn’t going to embarrass herself by trying to open the door.
From inside the house, Benson noticed her looking around. He purposefully waited before asking for the door to be opened so he could observe her reaction.
Alita froze and her eyes widened as the door slid open on its own. She slowly raised her head to see the beautifully decorated living room, with Benson standing in the center, buttoning his jacket.
“You’ve arrived,” Benson said, checking his watch. He noticed and smiled when she did the same. “Precisely on time.”
Her lips were pursed. “Sir, yes,” She swallowed and cleared her throat. She looked around, but not at him.
“Well, I’m about to leave,” he said as he wiped his hand across his jacket. “Let’s get you oriented then,” says the Benson. His hands were splayed at his sides.
“Sir, yes,” Her head jerked up and down.
“Follow me, let’s get this over with,” he said as he turned around. He was taking long steps forward and she had to run a little bit to keep up with his pace.
He led her to his study first. “This is my office at home,” he explained. “It is the most vital component of the house.” “I spend the majority of my time here,” He shifted his gaze to her. He returned his attention to the kitchen after she gave a nervous nod.
“Of course, this is the second most important place,” he chuckled. “A man has to eat. What you eat can sometimes define who you are.”
He proceeded to show her every other room in the house until they arrived at Julie’s room. Julie had fallen fast asleep after breakfast. He opened the door slowly so as not to wake her. He pushed the door open just enough for Alita to see Julie sleeping, then drew it shut again.
“That’s pretty much it,” Benson said, clapping. She followed him back to the living room quietly. “Text me if you need anything. Please do not call because I will not answer.”
With the email he sent to her, he had included a phone number where she could reach him. “Have fun and look after Julie for me. She means everything to me.”
Oh, okay, that’s unexpected, she thought to herself.
“Oh, I nearly forgot. It’s too important; otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to leave the house.” He walked to the door, picking up his glasses and his phone. He turned around and put on his glasses. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. “The door is voice command, and you must log in over there,” he said, pointing to a screen in the corner of the room just before you climb up to his minibar. “After that, you can pretty much talk to anything.” Best wishes. You’ll figure it out eventually. “I have faith in you. Open,” he said as he turned around. The door slid open and then closed when he stepped out.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Alita took a deep breath and let it all out. Through the glass, she could still see him outside. When it occurred to her that he might have seen her while she was standing helplessly outside, she hissed and shook her head. She grunted and turned to the screen at which he had indicated.
She walked up to it and looked at it in awe. When she brought her face close to it, the screen lit up. In shock, she immediately retracted. After some tinkering, she figured out how to register her voice to the system. She wasn’t certain she hadn’t made a mistake. After she finished, it synced with her phone in some way.
She was blown away by what she discovered. The house appeared smaller than it is from the outside. She set out to give the house a proper tour. She messed with many things, marveled at a few, and then went to watch Julie sleep. She, too, fell asleep, but was jolted awake by Julie’s cries for attention.